Global Industry Classification Standard

The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) is an industry taxonomy developed in 1999 by MSCI and Standard & Poor's (S&P) for use by the global financial community. The GICS structure consists of 11 sectors, 24 industry groups, 68 industries and 157 sub-industries ^[1] into which S&P has categorized all major public companies. The system is similar to ICB (Industry Classification Benchmark), a classification structure maintained by FTSE Group.

GICS is used as a basis for S&P and MSCI financial market indexes in which each company is assigned to a sub-industry, and to a corresponding industry, industry group and sector, according to the definition of its principal business activity.

"GICS" is a registered trademark of McGraw Hill Financial and MSCI Inc.^[2][3]

Classification^[4]

• 11 Sectors
• 24 Industry Groups
• 68 Industries
• 157 Sub-Industries

Revisions

The classification is continuously updated by S&P Dow Jones Indices and MSCI.^[5] In November 2014 they proposed to introduce a new sector for real estate, as well as adding a new sub-industry for copper, both to be effective on August 31, 2016.^[6]

See also

• Industry Classification Benchmark
• North American Industry Classification System
• Standard Industrial Classification
• International Standard Industrial Classification
• Thomson Reuters Business Classification

References

1. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-19. Retrieved 2014-12-19. 
2. ↑ "MSCI-Barra GICS Tables". Retrieved 2013-02-10. 
3. ↑ "MSCI-Barra GICS Sector Definitions" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-02-10. 
4. ↑ http://www.msci.com/products/indexes/sector/gics/gics_structure.html
5. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-02-11. Retrieved 2015-01-25. 
6. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-22. Retrieved 2015-01-25.